6/27/05
Rotarians everywhere celebrate 100th birthday
Rotary clubs across the world are celebrating Rotary Internationalís 100th birthday this month in Chicago where the organization was founded. This organization, which now includes women, evolved into a movement of 1.2 million Rotarians in 32,000 clubs in 168 countries are motivated by the motto: Service above Self.
Back in February, 1905 in Chicago, Paul Harris organized a businessmenís club with a representative from each profession. They named it the Rotary Club because each meeting would rotate to a different place.
In local clubs, Rotarians organize fund-raisers sell roses, serve pancake breakfasts and sponsor holiday basketball tournaments so they can invest in their communities and solve problems.
Rotary, however, is at its best when all clubs responds to global human needs.
Its most noteworthy project is to eliminate polio in the world. This initiative begun in 1985 has spurred Rotarians to contribute $600 million, which along with its political muscle has reduced the global incidence of polio by more than 99 percent ñ from an estimated 350,000 cases in 1988 to about 1,200 cases in 2004.
Dr. Albin Sabin, developer of the oral polio vaccine and a Rotarian, said if Polio Plus had not been taken on by Rotary, eight million more children would have the disease.
When the tsunami struck the day after Christmas in South Asia, members of 32,000 clubs contributed money and materials. Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation established the Solidarity in South Asia fund to manage contributions.
The tragedy of 9/11 made the Downtown New York Rotary Club the epicenter of Rotary. Clubs from all over the world sent money and letters. A 9/11 Committee was organized and linked with Rotarians from other states. For example a program linking Michigan Rotarians helped women and children who had lost loved ones in the attacks.
Rotary programs touch the lives of people who live in Twin Cities area communities. Club, vocational, community and international are the four areas of service.
Most clubs sponsor sending a local student to a foreign country and hosting a foreign student for a year.
Clubs also award scholarships and send students to leadership camps.
Rotarians give money to local youth organizations, sports, Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brother, Big Sister, scouts. The Forest Lake club, for example, invested $193,000 in community and youth activities over the last eight years.
Each club has a Centennial project.
As their Centennial project, Elk River, Rotarians are raising $260,000 to preserve a historic Elkhi Stadium which was begun in 1921.
Princetonís Rotary club is helping to restore Pioneer Park as its Centennial project.
Using local and Rotary Foundation funds, clubs have and are continuing to reach out to other countries;
The Princeton Club, for example, collected books for Africa, purchased a skin grafting machine so a surgeon could do cleft palat surgery and now is exploring funding a water purification project with a club in Guatemala.
Whether supporting a local community or a world community need, Rotarians stand ready to make this a better world in their second century. -- Don Heinzman
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